Christmas Duck:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Rinse duck and pat dry. Rub outside and sprinkle the inside with salt and pepper. Fill the duck’s cavity with dressing, and sew shut with kitchen twine or use wooden skewers to attach overlapping skins. Rub exterior of duck lightly with olive oil, and place in a shallow 9 x 13-inch roasting pan. Add butter to the pan and place in stove to melt the butter. Once melted, remove from stove and arrange diced vegetables, dried cranberries, chestnuts, star anises, cinnamon sticks, and herbs around the duck, tossing with the butter. Roast for 80 minutes, stirring the vegetables every 10 minutes and basting the duck with the rendering fat from the pan. Duck is cooked when internal temperature registers 180°F with a meat thermometer. When done, remove twine or skewers and place duck on a serving platter in a warmer. (Or, place in 180°F oven to keep meat warm.) Place roasting pan with the vegetables on stove and deglaze with red wine and orange juice. Once liquid is reduced, add chicken stock, bring to a boil, and remove from heat. Strain the stock through a sieve and serve on the side. Arrange vegetables around the duck and serve.
Bacon Corn Bread Dressing:
To make the bacon corn bread, use a standard corn bread mix and add a tablespoon of chopped bacon to one cup corn bread.
Melt butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Sauté vegetables, apples, and chestnuts in butter until tender. Remove and place in a medium-size bowl. Add dried cranberries, herbs, and bacon corn bread. Add vegetable stock, eggs, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Mix all.